Mohammed bin Rashid Arab Youth: UAE was and will remain your country

UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the UAE has been and will remain a country for Arab youth as it is part of a large and beautiful Arab homeland."For the eighth year in a row, the UAE has been the preferred development model for Arab youth, and the country of choice for work and living, followed by countries such as Canada, the United States and Britain. I tell them that the UAE was and will remain your country, A great and beautiful Arab, will continue to advance his youthful card and dreams. " He added: "I have seen today the report of the Arab Youth Survey, which included 15 Arab countries, the most important concerns of unemployment and rising cost of living. About 80 percent of them expressed concern about the quality of education, and more than half felt that access to drugs became easier in their countries and that mental health was an important issue for them.

Exaggerated role

At the same time, the results of the 11th ASWAD PCW survey revealed that religion in the region is playing an exaggerated role and that religious institutions need reform. The survey results, based on 3,300 interviews conducted by PSB, with young men and women aged 18-24 in 15 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, and by a 50 percent distribution of the sample between males and females.For the eighth consecutive year, the UAE has been a model for other countries, in the eyes of the Arab youth, which is the preferred country for living, and is seen as a model country; 42% say they want their countries to follow, Any other Arab or foreign country. The United States and Japan ranked second, with 20% each, followed by Turkey 19%, and Canada 18%.

Strong ally

93% view the UAE as an allied country, outperforming the rest of the Arab countries (Egypt 84%, Saudi Arabia 80%), and foreign countries (Turkey 68%, Russia 64%, USA 41%).Two out of every five (44%) say that the UAE is the country they want to live in, followed by Canada (22%), the United States (21%), Turkey (17%) and the United Kingdom (15%). The UAE maintained its lead in the list of favorite countries for the eighth consecutive year. Its position has been solidified since 2015, when 20 per cent of Arab youth counted their favorite destination for living, a figure that exceeded twice in 2019.

Growing status

Sunil John, Founder and President of ASDA'A-PCW Middle East, said: "The growing position of the UAE among Arab youth is a preferred place to live and the country they want to emulate confirms the development strategy and future vision of leadership. The UAE. During the last eight years of the survey, the UAE's image has grown steadily every year, confirming its status as a true beacon of hope and a model for the country in which the region's youth aspire to live. " "From the investment in global infrastructure, to the focus of the UAE's leadership on building smart and sustainable cities, and benefiting from the advantages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the UAE model keeps abreast of the aspirations of Arab youth to create rewarding jobs and enjoy a good standard of living." Arab youth's admiration for the UAE is due to a wide range of job opportunities (38%), followed by safety and security (36%) and rewarding salaries (30%). They also see it as a good place to make a family (22%), as well as a high quality educational system (20%), and foreign nationals (20%).

Popularity of the UAE

"I believe that the UAE's growth over the past eight years is due to its success in realizing the vision established by the UAE leadership years ago to become the UAE," he said. "Not only in the Middle East, but in the whole world, a model that young people in particular look forward to." In a year chosen by the UAE for tolerance, the first quarter saw Pope Francis' visit to Abu Dhabi in February, the first ever visit to the Arabian Peninsula. Only one month later, he hosted the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. In the coming year, the country will witness another global event, the Expo 2020 in Dubai, which is expected to attract 25 million visits and 70% of visitors from outside the UAE.

Path of Tolerance

"When the UAE chooses to move forward in the path of tolerance, it goes against the tide of sweeping nationalist tendencies sweeping the region and most of the world. As we see, drifting here is strong towards spreading the values ​​of openness, tolerance and coexistence. " He stressed that according to all indicators, Saudi youth are very optimistic about their future, and have a positive view of the direction of the Kingdom. This is evident in his belief in the success of Vision 2030 in promoting the Kingdom's economy and providing jobs. It is no wonder then that the vast majority of Saudi youth say their government is pursuing the right policies to address the issues that are most important to them.The UAE topped the list of countries in which Arab youth want to live, and wish their countries to follow them for the eighth year in a row, ahead of Canada and the United States, according to the results of the 11th Arab Youth Opinion Survey (PCW) : «Call to turn the concepts». This year's poll targeted the views of Arab youth in 15 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where 3,300 interviews were conducted in Arabic and English between 6 and 29 January 2019, with young men and women aged between 18 and 24. According to the results, the popularity of the UAE has grown significantly, with 44% of respondents saying that the UAE is the preferred country to live, compared to 20% in 2015; it strengthened its superiority over the rest of the countries in this session, The United States 21%, then Turkey in its first appearance, within the top five ranks, since 2013, by 17%, then the United Kingdom 15%.

Top of the States

In the Gulf reading, the UAE ranked first among Arab countries, with 42% of the participants, followed by the United States and Japan, 20%, Turkey 19% and Canada 18%.This is the first time since 2012 that the first five percentages of any European country are absent. 38% of the Arab youth believe that the UAE offers a wide range of job opportunities, 36% find it safe and secure, 30% say that salaries are rewarding and 22% see it as a great destination for family formation. 93% said that the UAE leads the list of allies of their countries, followed by Egypt 84% and Saudi Arabia 80%. However, their perceptions of the United States and Iran are different. 59% see the United States as their enemy and 67% as Iran.

The most influential

Saudi Arabia topped the list of the most influential Arab countries, with more than one-third of respondents (37%), followed by the UAE (27%) and Egypt (11%). They believe that the United States, the most foreign country that has strengthened its influence in the Middle East in recent years, although many believe that its impact in the region was negative; 48% supported that the most foreign countries that have strengthened their influence in the region during the past five years, Apart from being an enemy or an ally, the United States is in first place, followed by Turkey 23%, then Russia and Iran 13% each. Outside the Arab countries, the views of the Arab youth were aligned with the United States, 38%, 37% for Russia and 25% for neither country. The analysis of the regional results showed almost equal variation in the views of the Gulf youth; 45% supported the United States, compared with 38% who chose Russia. The youth of North Africa were more negative towards Russia. 39% chose the United States, 27% Russia, and the Eastern Mediterranean youth showed 45% more support for Russia than 29% for the United States.

Most divided

Arab youth in North Africa were more divided; 53% were dissatisfied with the quality of students' preparation for future jobs; 47% expressed satisfaction; and educational concerns ranged from higher education; only one third (32%) said they prefer to pursue their education Higher in their home countries, while the majority (53%) seek to enroll in Western universities or colleges, And only 15% prefer to complete their education in another Arab country. An analysis of the regional results indicates that Gulf youth are more positive about university institutions in their countries; 44% said they will continue their higher education in their countries, compared with 28% in North Africa and 24% in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Government support

More than half of the respondents (56%) believe that the most worrying concern is the rising cost of living, followed by unemployment (45%), the absence of Arab unity (35%), and the slowdown in growth Economic growth of 31%. In the post-Arab Spring period, economic concerns topped the list of challenges, such as the civil war in Syria 28%, threats of terrorism 26% and the lack of democracy 25%. Sixty-five percent said their country's governments were not doing enough to address the economic situation, nor to help young families. More than a quarter (26%) disagreed.

Sharp split

In the GCC countries, 39% of young people agree, with their governments not helping young families, versus 51% disagreeing, while the majority of them are responsible for governments to provide services and protection to all citizens; including safety and security (33%) that governments should repay the debts of all citizens, as opposed to 49% who believe that they have to pay the debts of those in need (96%), education (88%), energy support (78%); Just. The expectations of young people are similar for governments in different regions, with expectations rising slightly in the GCC region; 77% believe their governments should provide housing for all citizens, compared to 64% in North Africa, 38% in the Eastern Mediterranean, They had the least expectation of government responsibility for repaying the debts of all citizens; 20% thought governments should repay their debts, compared to 36% in the Gulf States and 44% in North Africa.

Regional conflicts

Arab youth believe that the time has come to put an end to the regional conflicts, which are the biggest obstacles facing the Middle East. 35% of them said that the absence of Arab unity is the biggest challenge in the region, compared to 28% Are the two biggest obstacles, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains a major concern for 79% of them. Most of the Arab youth hope that the Syrian civil war will end, regardless of the final status of the Assad regime. Three quarters (73%) expressed their hope that the conflict will end immediately, while 26% favor a free election before the end of the war. The end of the war is common to all, 76% in the Gulf states, 73% in the Eastern Mediterranean countries, And 70% in North Africa expressed their hope that the war would end quickly. The results showed the awareness of the Arab youth of the increasing tension between the Sunni and Shiite communities; 59% of them believe that relations between the Sunnis and the Shiites have worsened remarkably. Only 57% of the young people in the GCC support this view, compared with 68% in North Africa and 70% in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. 57% believe that drug use is high, 36% of Gulf youth believe drug abuse in their countries is increasing, compared with 30% in the Middle East. 76% of the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean believe that the rates of abuse are increasing in their countries, compared to 13% . 63% said the solution was to adopt stricter laws; to reduce drug abuse; 58% felt the need to apply the law more effectively; 54% felt that improving education and raising awareness was the best solution; 50% And advise.

E-Commerce

Seventy-one percent of the GCC countries, the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, are online online, and credit card use is the same as cash. 49% of young people prefer using electronic payment cards, compared to 50% (65%), followed by the Eastern Mediterranean (43%) and North Africa (35%).

Psychological problems

81% of respondents said they had difficulty in obtaining good medical care for these problems, compared to 55% in the whole region, 52% in North Africa, and 67% Al-Khaliji, the availability of good mental health care in their country, compared to 28% find it difficult.

The number of participants in the survey was 200, and the ratio of males to females was 50:50, with the exception of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which had 300 participation each, Iraq with participation of 250 and the Palestinian territories with 150 participants. .

Geographical distribution

The survey took into account the geographic distribution of participants. For example, 40% of UAE residents were Abu Dhabi residents, 40% from Dubai and 20% from Sharjah. Participants in Saudi Arabia were selected from three main cities: Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Dominance of communication

Eighty percent of respondents reported that their preferred choice of communication, compared to 25% in 2015, is the largest leap of 55%. As for television, there was an increase of six percentage points. Magazines recorded a slight increase of 1 percentage point, with 50% of respondents targeting Facebook as a source of news, 39% on the Internet, 34% on TV news channels, and only 4% turning to newspapers. Arab youth trust the means of communication, more than traditional means; 60% confirmed their confidence in these means, compared to 23% expressed mistrust and confidence reached 37%. In contrast, 55% said they trust the traditional media,And 30% do not trust it. Net confidence has reached 25%, and communication has become more dominant in the lives of young people in the Middle East; 9 out of 10 Arab youth use at least one of the main channels of communication daily.

quality of education

Three out of every four Arab youth expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of education in their countries, and more than half of them wanted to complete their education in the West. Seventy-eight percent expressed concern about the quality of education in their countries. , With 84% and 81% respectively, and 70% of GCC youth, also expressed concern. Gulf students are very satisfied with the quality of their future job placement. Eight out of every 80 (80%) said they are satisfied with the students' future job placement, while the highest level of concern is in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. Three quarters (73% ), The inability of their educational system to prepare them for future jobs, compared with 49% of the Arab youth in general.